


Forever And A Bit Longer

by Ella (ellabellachicketychella)



Series: why do the stars shine so bright [17]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (as always), Altean Alchemy (Voltron), Everyone Is Gay, Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) is So Done, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Lotor is Complicated, M/M, Quintessence (Voltron), Sci-Fi Gibberish, Soft Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellabellachicketychella/pseuds/Ella
Summary: Weird things happen. All the time. It's part of being a paladin. Weird things happening is in the job description of being a paladin.But this. This is a whole other weird. Shared dreams, weird lights and lullabies, and healing each other. That's on another, another level of weird.---“It’s an easy mission,” Keith said, “Nothing will go wrong.”“We’ve said that before.”“Fair. Here’s to not dying.”
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: why do the stars shine so bright [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979423
Comments: 21
Kudos: 103





	Forever And A Bit Longer

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, if this is your first part in the series this isn't the best place to start. If you'd like the best place to start, that is '[To Defend and Fight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27118214/chapters/66220286)'. Then read the whole series (if you want to) and come back here, it'll make a lot more sense.
> 
> If you can't be bothered but you want to know what's going on I'd recommend reading '[Nobody Knows You Know](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254722)', '[Freak](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721769)' and the last chapter of '[Time Can't Heal All](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025637/chapters/69081318)' although I'd recommend reading all of '[Time Can't Heal All](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28025637/chapters/68654628)' as it contextualizes some of the reasons that Keith isn't a fan of this whole situation.
> 
> For anyone coming back, welcome. Hello again! I know some of you have been curious about to what is happening, and here is your answer.
> 
> C.W / Trigger Warnings: We're basically good this one, there is pain, but not graphic and Lotor talks about Zarkon, which always has underlying abuse as a theme. Please stay safe with this one!

The answer to what came next was quite simple. Neither of them talked about it, or even looked remotely in each other’s direction. Lance had no idea about Keith, but he was avoiding him like the plague.

Considering Keith didn’t come to training sessions with Lotor anymore, Lance would guess that Keith was also avoiding him… where were they supposed to go from here anyway? 

Where were you supposed to go when it turned out magic… or something was real, and that something kept Keith from dying. What the fuck was Lance supposed to do now? Apart from avoiding him.

Sadly, everyone else noticed.

“What the fuck?” Pidge yelled one morning, and Lance looked up from his bowl of what tasted like porridge at the best of times. “Why the fuck aren’t you and Keith talking?”

Lance shrugged, even though he knew why and ate his porridge as everyone looked at him.

Pidge slammed her hands on the table and Lance looked up slowly. “What the fuck happened on that mission? You’ve both been weird. You call in telling Allura you need an extraction and then you’re both unconscious and there’s blood everywhere and neither of you are injured.”

Lance shrugged again, eating more porridge and Pidge slammed her hands on the table again, this time Lance didn’t even look up.

“Okay!” Pidge yelled, “I can deal with you pining, I can deal with you two being incredibly gay for each other and I can deal with you two being so painfully oblivious I’m going to lock you two in a room soon!” She took a deep breath, before looking pointedly at Lance. “But I will not watch you two be self destructive idiots.”

Everyone’s eyes were darting from Lance to Pidge. Lance moved the porridge around his bowl with a small sigh. Pidge glared again. “Okay you gay bitch,” Pidge said and Lance looked up, finally. “Either you tell us what happened, or you talk with Keith, or I lock you in a room.”

Lance looked down again, twirling his spoon in his hand.

“Okay,” Shiro said, “Pidge, sit down. Lance, come with me,” Shiro stood up and Lance pushed the chair out, following after Shiro into the closest hallway. 

The door closed, and Lance knew that the others would be at the door, trying to hear what was happening, apparently Shiro also knew this and they walked a few more paces then they probably needed to.

Shiro crossed his arms and Lance looked down at his feet.

“Lance,” Shiro started, “Whatever happened is affecting both of you, and no one likes seeing you in pain. So what’s wrong?”

Lance kept his gaze on his feet, and Shiro sighed, running a hand down his face. “Lance,” Shiro said, as softly as he could probably. “You’re both hurting, and I don’t know what happened and I don’t expect you to tell me, but you need to talk to someone.”

And Lance knew that in theory, that he was supposed to tell someone, but what was he supposed to say? Keith had died. His chest had stopped moving, he’d stopped breathing. Keith had died.

What was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to tell him that the most terrified he’d ever been was for the few seconds he actually thought Keith was dead?

Instead of saying any of that he shrugged at Shiro, who sighed. “Lance. Things have been difficult lately, I know they have, but don’t bottle everything up. What happened? Or what’s wrong?”

Lance shook his head.

“Did something happen with you and Keith?”

“Nothing relevant,” Lance muttered, “Things are just confusing, and we’re in the middle of a war and everything’s so much and it was so weird—”

Shiro’s eyes bugged out, “Did you two kiss?”

“What?” Lance yelled, “No, no, absolutely not, why would we both be emo if we kissed. No! It just— nevermind,” Lance shook his head.

“I didn’t want to feel weak either,” Shiro said, “So I kept things from the team… but you know how that ended,” Shiro weakly gestured to the scar on Lance’s face, “Lance. Nothing’s ever too much for us. We’re on a flying castle with magical lions, nothing gets weirder than that.”

Lance sighed, running a hand down his face. “Just weirdness.”

“Growing up is weird,” Shiro’s arms were crossed, “And it has to be even weirder for you, Lance, whatever the problem is, it’s not as big as you think it is.”

“But it is,” Lance complained, “It’s a huge problem and you might think this is teenage angst, but it’s a huge problem—”

“Maybe it is,” Shiro smiled tiredly, “But it’s not as big as you think it is. Zarkon isn’t as big as a problem as you think it is, everything is scarier in your head. I promise, nothing is as big a deal as you make it.”

Lance sighed again, leaning against the wall. “It feels like a big deal.”

“It probably is,” Shiro said, “Or it might not be. What’s the worst that happens? You don’t need to tell me. Just think to yourself, what’s the worst that happens.”

The worst that happened was that Keith heard him confess his love.

The best that happened was Keith was just avoiding him because he felt awkward.

Lance knew better than to expect the best.

“You have that look on your face,” Shiro said and Lance dragged himself out of his spiralling to look at Shiro.

“My what?”

“Your Keith look,” Shiro smiled and Lance twisted his face in confusion. “When you think about Keith, your face goes different, somehow angry and soft… everyone else has dubbed it the Keith look.”

“Oh.” Is all Lance said, “Cool.”

“Go talk to him,” Shiro said, putting his hand on Lance’s shoulder.

* * *

Lance proceeded to not do that, and instead mope around.

Pidge actually threw a chair at him.

* * *

He understood why Keith basically lived on the training deck. It was so much easier to slice through gladiators than it was to talk about his emotions, so instead he cut through gladiators. Even if this level was too high for him and Lance landed on his ass every three seconds.

Still. No feelings in sight.

Lance didn’t have time to think, he just needed to… well, do. 

Holding a sword felt surprisingly natural, and he was picking it up faster than he thought he would be. All things considered, Lance would say he was going alright. He didn’t shake so much anymore that he was a completely hopeless shot.

He just couldn’t snipe for the life of him. Close quarters and guns. That worked, and because he was the only one who knew how to use guns at close quarters, that probably made him the best.

But as he’d discovered, nothing quite released anger like swinging a sword at full force. Pulling a trigger was easy, he could do it without thinking, it wasn’t as brutal as a sword fight. He didn’t need to duck out of the way of a sword when he had a gun.

With a final jab and then a slash the gladiator fell apart, only becoming pixels as Lance brushed hair out of his face, sighing.

“Oh fuck.”

Lance whirled around, pointing his sword as he did so. To be met with Keith.

Keith… there was no nice way to put it, Keith looked like a mess. His eyes were slightly red around the edges and the bags under his eyes were some of the worst that Lance had seen in a long time. Lance didn’t even want to think about his hair, which was essentially a giant knot.

“Pidge told me no one was in here, sorry!” Keith turned around, walking away and smacking into the door which had been opened a few seconds ago. Keith slammed a fist against the door, “Oh come on.”

Keith spun around and gave a sheepish smile.

“Are you… okay?” Lance asked, “You look like a mess.”

“Haven’t been sleeping much,” Keith said rubbing at his eyes, and even Lance knew that was a lie. He looked at Lance, before looking away, pointedly looking at the wall. Saying nothing and Lance didn’t break the silence either.

This was the first awkward silence they’d had in forever. And Lance didn’t know what to do apart from just stand there, tapping his foot against the ground.

“I think Pidge locked us in,” Keith sighed, “She’s been threatening to.”

“She’s been threatening me too,” Lance said, and Keith gave a small smile and a small laugh. Laugh was a kind word, it was probably Keith exhaling out of his nose. Rather than a real laugh. 

Another awkward silence, where a pin could drop and sound like a jet-plane.

Keith sat down in front of the door, and Lance sat down next to him. Staring at the door. Silence enveloping the pair of them.

So… what was Lance supposed to say?

“I have a question,” Lance looked straight at the door, aware that Keith was looking at him. “On that mission… did you hear anything of interest when you… blacked out?”

Keith raised an eyebrow, “Was I supposed to?”

“No,” Lance squeaked, and Keith raised both eyebrows at him. “No… just— I think you died.”

“What?” Keith’s head snapped to face towards Lance, and Lance glanced at him. “What do you mean I died?”

“Your chest stopped moving. I didn’t check for a pulse or anything… but— I think you died.”

“Holy shit,” Keith muttered, “Holy shit! I died?”

“Maybe…” Lance looked back at the door. “And… it was probably the most scared I’ve ever been. I was terrified, and I actually thought that was it, that was the way you died and—” Lance took a deep breath, “I haven’t been that scared. Ever. Like, not even when I used to be terrified of heights and I went on a rollercoaster.”

Keith just stared at him. Before nodding slowly. “So… what actually happened for you?”

“You were bleeding, there was blood everywhere,” Lance shuddered, “And you kept trying to sleep, eventually you closed your eyes and your chest stopped moving. You might’ve been dead, I don’t know. Then I freaked out, but I just sat there in shock trying to shake you awake,” Lance tried to take a deep breath to compose himself, but the breath got caught in his throat.

“You don’t have to—”

“I’m going to,” Lance said firmly, despite his eyes stinging. “Then I called you a bitch and yelled about how you’re an idiot, and everything started glowing… my hands, then I saw that your chest was glowing, faintly, and it felt like a videogame.” 

Keith nodded.

“And, then I touched you and we got put into the dreamscape. Then your mouth and eyes started glowing, and your chest and I didn’t know what was happening but I just wanted you to be okay. Then we were back, and your chest was fixed, and… holy shit.” Lance sat up, “I think I gave you Quintessence.”

“What?” Keith sat up straighter.

“Well… I kept my hands on you, and then it felt like… something was leaving, I don’t know what, but you were alive afterwards and Quintessence is just essentially life force and, that makes it make sense.”

Keith crossed his arms, still looking straight at the door. “Everytime I think Pidge won’t do something, she does it.”

“She’s like that,” Lance muttered.

Keith didn’t say anything else, and Lance didn’t know what he was supposed to say either. 

So instead he went over to the weapons rack, picking up a blaster and a sword. He was still practising short-distance gunning, mainly because shooting something felt better than shooting nothing.

“Wanna join in?” Lance asked, gesturing around the deck with his sword. “I’ve been practising.”

Keith groaned as he stood up, cracking his knuckles and walking over to the weapons rack. Grabbing a sword and a sniper rifle which he managed to sling over his back. He spun the sword around in his hand the way that Lotor had done, and Lance still didn’t know how he didn’t break his hand.

Lance stared at him, and Keith looked back at him, his face blank. “Are you going to stretch?”

“If I pull a muscle I don’t have to go to training tomorrow,” Lance shot back with a grin and Keith sighed.

“I’m the leader Lance, you’re not supposed to tell me these things.”

“You won’t make me go anyway,” Lance smiled and he could basically hear Keith’s eyeroll. “You love me too much for that.”

“I love seeing you suffer more,” Keith responded, cracking his neck and Lance scrunched up his nose. “You landing on your ass will always be funny.”

“Feeling the love Keithers,” Lance muttered, holding his sword out in front of him and swinging it around to get a feel for the weight. “Please don’t make me go to training, Shiro and Pidge are mad at me.”

“There’s probably a reason for that,” Keith replied, balancing his sword in his hand, also apparently to get a feel for it. “So I will watch you land on your ass.”

“You’re a cruel, cruel man, Kogane.”

“Which level are we doing?”

“Um…” Lance scratched the back of his neck. “What are you up to by yourself?”

“Eleven.”

“Do thirteen.”

“Sure,” Keith said, “If one of us ends up in a pod I’m blaming you. Level thirteen.”

“Beginning level thirteen training sequence,” the robotic voice that Lance had been hearing more of lately said, and Lance tightened his grip on his sword and blaster. Looking around as gladiators sprung up all around them.

Fifteen.

Lance had only ever fought about six at once.

Okay. Chill.

He heard Keith take a deep breath, before lunging. With a crash as Lance lept to the side, out of the way of one of the gladiators swings. Shooting at the closest one with his blaster, which fell into a pile of pixels.

One down.

There was a crash behind him, and a grunt from Keith. 

Two down then.

Lance whirled around, driving a sword into one gladiators chest and firing twice at another one. As he heard two gladiators fall behind him and Keith huffed with laughter.

Six down then.

A gladiator swung with a staff, it hit its mark, sending Lance stumbling back into Keith and Keith responded by snatching Lance’s blaster out of his hand and throwing it at the gladiator.

It hit the gladiator with a thump.

“What the fuck?” Lance yelled.

“I can’t use blasters!”

“And?”

“I panicked!” Keith yelled, blocking one of the staff hits. 

Lance blocked another hit from the gladiator, the one that Keith had thrown the blaster at. Before swinging, then flicking his wrist underneath the staff and driving the sword straight into the torso of the gladiator.

Seven down.

Instead of swinging for the next gladiator. Lance paused for a moment, looking around. As Keith flew backwards into him, and Lance caught him to the best of his abilities. Holding his arm, as the gladiators started circling them.

“This isn’t great,” Lance muttered, looking at his blaster, on the ground. Thanks to Keith Akira Kogane. 

“Don’t fight back-to-back,” Keith said, “It cuts up the other person.”

“Right. Cool.” 

Lance blocked a staff hit from one gladiator, as another swung at him. Keith blocked that one, broke apart and ducked underneath a wide arc. Stabbing the sword into the gladiators chest, who beeped and disintegrated into pixels.

Eight down. Seven more to go. Keith swung again, and Lance moved out of the way, not really wanting another scar on his face from a team member. He blocked another staff hit directed at Keith’s back.

Holding onto the staff, he yanked it out of the gladiators hands. Before hitting the gladiator with the staff, like it was a baseball bat and throwing the staff. So it stuck out of the gladiator’s chest.

Nine down.

Two gladiators hit the ground, behind him, and Lance knew that Keith was to thank for that.

Eleven down.

Spinning around Lance managed to finally grab his blaster, and promptly decided to never give Keith his blaster ever again. And fired one at the gladiator Keith was fighting, which beeped, hit the ground and turned into a bunch of pixels.

Then he was being jerked backwards, flying through the air, before hitting the ground and all the air was knocked out of him.

“End training sequence!” Keith yelled, running over and kneeling next to Lance. Who was trying to learn how to breathe all over again. “Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Lance managed, coughing, and trying to breathe, even if his lungs weren’t quite working. “Just winded.” 

Keith managed to sit him up, a hand on his back to keep him upright while Lance panted to breathe. Eventually breathing didn’t hurt that much, and he relaxed, looking at Keith’s weapons thrown on the ground, and his weapons either side of him.

“Jesus.” Lance muttered, “We don’t practice together for a week and then we’re so out of sync.”

“Wasn’t that bad,” Keith replied. “There was just no spacial awareness. We’ve done worse.”

  
  


Lance huffed. “Yeah. We really have.”

\---

_Blood._

_Blood everywhere, across everything, a breath flickering out and eyes flickering closed. Like it was time to sleep, except Keith wouldn’t wake up again._

Lance sat up, gripping at the sheets. His chest heaving.

Keith.

Was Keith okay?

It wasn’t Lance’s choice as such, more, something that he did without thinking. Sliding out of bed, drawing his robe around him, picking up a pillow from his bed, and walking the short distance between their rooms. Knocking on the door twice.

There was a sleepy hum and Lance relaxed completely.

He was okay.

“Nothing,” Lance said through the door and a few seconds later it opened, Keith was standing there, rubbing at his eyes.

“Whenever you say nothing something’s wrong,” Keith mumbled, still sounding half-asleep. “Wha’s up?”

“Just checking if you were alright,” Lance rubbed at the back of his neck. “And you are so I’m going to go now—”

“Stay,” Keith rubbed at his eyes again, “If ya want. I need protection from Zarkon. Looks like you also want protection from Zarkon,” he glanced down at the pillow that Lance had tucked underneath his arm.

“Oh?” Lance laughed, holding his pillow tighter and leaning against the door frame. “You want protection from Zarkon.”

“Yeah,” Keith fake-yawned, but he was also smiling. “Protection from Zarkon, he looks like a lemon and I hate lemons.”

“Well, considering all of those fantastic points, I guess I’ll stay,” Lance grinned and Keith rolled his eyes. “And considering I can actually throw swords and knives—”

“Shut up!” Keith said, shoving Lance’s shoulders. “I only broke the wall a little bit! I can’t be good at everything.”

“Correct,” Lance said, walking into the room and getting into the bed without a second of hesitation, and Keith watched him. “I am sleeping here, you can sleep on the floor.”

“You’re so kind,” Keith said, also getting into bed next to him, and Lance put his pillow down. Before lying on it, because that’s what people do with pillows.

They stayed silent, and Lance stared straight up. Lying on his back.

Keith was doing the same.

A long while passed, and Lance was almost considering closing his eyes and trying to go to sleep. Keith was breathing lightly, but still not quite asleep yet.

“Do you reckon penguins know polar bears exist?” Lance asked.

“There it is, Lance, go to sleep.”

“But— do they? Would polar bears and penguins get along?”

“Lance. It’s too late for this.”

“Do whales know elephants exist?” Lance exclaimed and Keith facepalmed next to him. “Because whale is the biggest animal, and elephants are the biggest land animal, it would be a bigger crossover than— Avengers: Endgame.”

“Lance. Some of us want to sleep,” Keith grumbled. 

“How are you supposed to protect me from Zarkon if you’re sleeping?” Lance asked, poking Keith in the cheek, who sighed. 

“Lance.”

“Fine.”

It was quiet again, and Lance looked up. Trying to stay quiet despite the fact that he was exploding with thoughts, so many thoughts that he was actually shaking next to Keith. 

A few more moments of silence, which Keith seemed to revel in. “Yes, Lance?”

“If you make soup out of a vegan it is both vegan broth and not vegan soup?”

“That’s illegal Lance,” Keith sighed.

“But what is it?” Lance asked, out into the space. “Also, also, also, cops want you to be a criminal—”

“Yes. I know Lance.”

“Holy shit!” Lance said, “Does that mean we want there to be a war?”

“We don’t get paid,” Keith replied, his voice flat. “Please go to sleep. Please, please, go to sleep.”

“Dogs have four thighs.”

“Holy shit.” Keith said, sitting up. “They do.”  
  


“Right?”

“Wait, ew.” Keith covered his face with his hands, “Lance!”

“Sorry.”

Another beat of silence and Keith stayed sitting up. “Holy shit, dogs have four thighs.”

* * *

“You two look exhausted,” Allura said, raising an eyebrow. “What were you doing?”

He felt everyone’s eyes on him. Okay. First of all, how dare they.

“Dogs have four thighs,” Keith muttered, chugging as much coffee as he could without drowning. 

“Holy shit!” Pidge exclaimed looking up from her laptop. “They do— why do they?” Pidge asked, holding her head between her hands. “Who’s telling Lotor this and pestering him with that promise?”

“I will,” Allura grinned, “He won’t know what a dog is anyway.”

“Allura has a crush,” Lance muttered, only so Keith could hear it, and judging by Keith’s soft laugh he heard it. “It’s so obvious.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Shiro asked, chugging his third coffee. Pausing when he put the mug down. “I am so addicted to coffee.”

“At least it isn’t weed,” Pidge added and Keith snorted, probably a bit too loudly but no one seemed to mind all that much.

“I think weed would be healthier,” Shiro sighed, picking up the fourth mug, which Keith snatched out of his hands. “Yeah…” he sighed, “That was the right choice.” He slumped over the table. “Don’t mind me.”

“We won’t,” Keith snapped, pushing the coffee over to Lance who guzzled it fast enough that he started coughing, and Keith sighed at him. “Lance, if you’re dying at least do it quietly.”

Allura nodded as Lance continued to cough, before stopping and sitting upright again. “Thanks Keith, really feeling the love.”

“You also have to go to training.”

“Fuck you.”

“He wishes,” Pidge added and Hunk walked in. Adjusting his headband and looking at the chaos happening around the table. Followed by Coran.

Coran turned around. Hunk walked over to the table and collapsed in the seat next to Lance, starting to spoon copious amounts of porridge into his bowl. Lance sat up a little bit taller and started prodding Hunk.

“Yes?” Hunk said after the fifty-seventh poke.

“Why are you tired?” Lance asked, leaning his weight against Hunk. “Talking to a special someone.”

“Maybe.” Hunk said, looking away, which meant he definitely was and Lance gasped. “Shut up.”

“Everyone!” Lance yelled, “Hunk was talking to Shay!”

“Gay!” Pidge yelled as Allura made crooning noises and Shiro didn’t move from being slumped on the table. Keith poked Shiro in the shoulder, who swatted at him. 

“It’s— it’s not gay?” Hunk looked at Pidge.

“GAY!” Pidge yelled louder and Keith (who was sitting next to her) winced. “Not as gay as Lulio.”

“Pink glitter and rainbows aren’t as gay as Lulio,” Keith muttered, and Lance snorted at that. 

“I’m so confused,” Hunk said, looking around, “How are Shay and I gay?”

“Don’t,” Lance muttered. “Just leave it, accept the gays.”

“Sure.” Hunk nodded slowly, “Right… makes sense. Adds up. Total sense.”

“Be quiet straightie,” Pidge accused, pointing a finger. “You allosexual, cisgender, heterosexual, man.”

“Um,” Hunk looked at Lance who shrugged. “Okay.”

“Pidge is mad how Russia still hasn’t legalised same-sex marriage and adoption,” Keith added and Pidge slammed her fists on the table again. 

“It’s bullshit!”

“We know Pidge, we know.”

* * *

Lotor was sat on top of the bed. His room was nice, even if it was still technically his cell. Despite people coming in and out all the time, Pidge… the small green one, had come into the room and threatened Lotor, and he was about sure that Pidge would deliver on those threats.

Hunk… the yellow one with a cheery smile, had also come in. Delivering soup, claiming that everyone else spilt it everywhere. He’d also threatened Lotor, but smiled the whole time, then ate his own soup with him.

Allura, she’d come in a few times, mainly to talk about Agedar, or about how dumb humans were. Then leave quietly. 

Keith had come in more than Allura. He often didn’t talk, he would just draw and the both of them would do their own thing. Then sometimes Keith would complain about Lance, and Lotor would feel quite awkward.

His solutions to Keith’s problems had included: a light stabbing, hiding forever, and Lotor had suggested taking over the planets that were quiznacks toward Keith. Apparently that wasn’t acceptable.

Lance had come with Keith once, he was quiet the entire time.

He hadn’t come since then.

Lotor didn’t blame him. What he’d done was unacceptable and permanent, if someone had affected his sword fighting abilities he’d be acting the same way. Quiznack, he wouldn’t be looking at whoever had done it.

Coran. He hadn’t visited yet and it was only a matter of time.

Apparently Lotor was Altean or a fluke, and considering how good Altean technology was it was more likely that he was Altean. The Castle could only be flown by people with Altean blood, it was an easy enough method, Galra used that method for ships.

But he’d actually flown it. He’d flown The Castle out of the way of a moon.

Hence why he was now sitting on the bed, with black sheets that he didn’t know how to use properly so just slept on top of the bed instead.

Three knocks and the door slid open. Coran stood there, looking ridiculous, but solem and sincere. Stepping past the door, which closed behind him and Lotor managed to look at Coran.

“Hello, my boy,” Coran said, and Lotor looked away.

Coran wasn’t Zarkon. Nothing was going to happen to him. 

Instead, Coran took the seat by the door. Sitting down, looking slightly unnatural but that was to be expected when you were in the same room as your enemies son. Lotor looked straight ahead, not trusting himself to look at Coran without flinching.

“It’s alright,” Coran said, “I myself am not a completely pureblooded Altean.”

Lotor nodded, not looking at Coran. His hands clenched into fists, resting on his legs.

“There is nothing to be ashamed of, you can’t control who you are born to. I myself, despite being so spectacular, do not have perfect parents.”

He didn’t say anything.

“I did not know my mother,” Coran said and Lotor glanced at him for a moment. “She was gone shortly after I was born… something I share with Keith, even if he does not know it. It was always difficult, not knowing a part of myself.”

“It’s not the same!” Lotor yelled, snapping his head around to look at Coran. “This isn’t a matter of me not knowing who I am, it’s a matter of my father knowing this, and never telling me. Did your father tell you anything about your mother?”

Coran nodded and Lotor huffed. “He knew! He knew that I was— this, and he— he still went after people like me! He still tried to kill Alteans, wipe them out completely, even though he knew I was one— he resents Alteans!”

“Lotor,” Coran said softly, and Lotor looked at him. “No father ever truly resents his child… Allura isn’t my child, but sometimes it feels like she is. The paladins aren’t my children, but I love them like they are.”

“Well then maybe he’s not my father!” Lotor yelled.

“I was never saying Zarkon was a father… making a child doesn’t make someone a child. Anyone can do that. No father who has raised their child hates them.”

“Are you saying he hates me?” Lotor asked, keeping his voice as flat as he could.  
  


“I am saying,” Coran said, behind the mushy orange moustache. “That making a child does not make the child yours, and being related to someone does not make you their son.”

Lotor nodded. “Being Altean is something to be proud of, being Galran is something to be proud of. Being alive is something to be proud of,” Coran said, and Lotor could see a small smile. “Be proud.”

Coran turned around, starting towards the door.

“Am I like him?” Lotor asked, trying to keep his voice as relaxed as he could, despite the dread settling in his bones. “Didn’t you know him before he went mad? Was he ever a good person?”

Coran sighed softly, turning back around and looking at Lotor. “I did know Zarkon before he went mad. He led Voltron.”

“So he was a good person?” Lotor asked.

“He changed.” Coran said, “And it’s a tragic, tragic thing, but I’m not convinced that good people will ever turn completely bad. So he must’ve been bad to start with, and I’m not sure if that’s his fault or not.”

Coran looked at Lotor, “I believe you are quite the opposite. That you’re a good person who is trying to be a bad person. And I reckon you’re trying to be a bad person because that keeps you safe… and that I know isn’t your fault.”

“You seem biased.”

“You’re a child.”

“I’ve been around thousands of years.”

“But you haven’t been _alive_ for thousands of years,” Coran said, “Being alive and living are such different things and I reckon you haven’t had a chance to live yet.”

Lotor just looked.

“Be proud of who you are,” Coran said, “I’ve met people who have less of a reason, and they’re horrible people.”

“You never answered my question,” Lotor said, “Am I like… _him._ ”

“I think that’s for you to decide,” Coran said, his tone almost playful. “I’ve always been one to think we decide if we’re a good or bad person, and there’s always the option to be a good person.”

The door slid open again, and Coran stepped out, with a bright smile, and they closed again. 

Leaving Lotor sitting on his bed. Not sure what to think, or even do. Instead he stared.

* * *

“Keith!” Shiro barked, “No biting!”

Keith slowly removed Lance’s arm away from his mouth and Lance glared at Shiro. “We wanted to see what would happen!”

“No biting!” Shiro barked again, pointing straight at Keith. “No biting unless we’re in a fight.”

Lance slapped Keith across the face.

“No!” Shiro yelled, running forward to stop Keith from biting Lance, “This is why we don’t have nice things.”

\---

Keith stood in front of his team, rubbing his eyes, his helmet clutched underneath his arm. Yawning. “Emergency beacon,” he said, “We get in there, we become even more wanted by the empire.”

“At least someone wants you then,” Lance said and Keith flipped him off.

“Right, so… it’ll hopefully be an easy mission.”

“I have a bad feeling,” Hunk said.

“Hunk,” Keith sighed, “I mean this in the nicest way possible, you have a bad feeling about every mission,” he looked at Lance for help and Lance shrugged, he had no clue what was going on.

“Well… I’m not going to start now,” Hunk crossed his arms. “In fact, I’m going to lock myself in an invisible house.”

“Well I have an invisible hammer,” Keith said, “So get out of the house before I knock it down and tear it down brick by brick.”

“Right,” Hunk’s voice was slightly scared. “Outta the house.”

“Good talk,” Keith said, running a hand down his face. “Right. Shiro… go with Hunk, or stay here, I don’t really care all that much.”

Lance snorted, “Right, I’ll translate that into human. Don’t die, this mission should be easy. Good luck y’all.”

Everyone paused.

“You said y’all,” Keith said, looking straight at Lance. “You. Said. Y’all? You know what, nevermind. I want this mission done because I can’t stop thinking about dogs having four thighs.”

“What?” Hunk asked, “Oh God— oh God. Why do? Ew!”

“I can’t stop thinking about it,” Keith complained and Lance grinned, because it was all his fault, and Keith was now suffering because of it. “Like why— nevermind. I’m going to bite you Lance—”

“You are not!” Shiro squawked. “Stop threatening to bite people when they inconvenience you.”

“Lulio said to,” Lance added, being reminded of the worst conversation he ever had to listen to. His sorta-ex and his crush talking together, two gay disasters, and neither of them were willing to let the other have the upper hand.

It wasn’t good.

Lance did have a reason he kept those two apart for so long, but somehow he’d forgotten it.

“He had some convincing points,” Keith said with a small smile.

“He smiled once.” Lance said flatly, “I’ve met puddles with more depth than you.”

“Thank you,” Keith waved his hand. “Okay, go away.”

Everyone walked off to their hangars. 

Lance included, he got three steps before there was a yank on the back of his armour and Keith was standing behind him, arms crossed and smiling. Lance had no idea why he was in a good mood, but was quite scared by it.

“Yes?”

“You put your armour on right for once,” Keith pulled on the front of Lance’s chestplate. “About time.”

And Lance had no idea why he was in a bad mood, but he also felt uneasy about this mission. He didn’t know why. But he just did, instead he shrugged at Keith and Keith shrugged back at him.

“It’s an easy mission,” Keith said, “Nothing will go wrong.”

“We’ve said that before.”

“Fair,” Keith shrugged again, and turned around towards Black’s hangar. “Here’s to not dying.”

“I guess…” Lance said, with about the same cheer as a storm cloud, and walking into Red’s hangar.

Her jaw opened without hesitation and Lance stepped inside, sitting in the pilot’s seat for a moment, deciding not to move for a bit longer. His hands hovering over the controls for a second longer than they needed to.

Before he took off, Pidge and Hunk were babbling into his ear about some technology crap. While Allura and Shiro, which lion Shiro was in, was beyond him. But considering how Pidge’s voice would go a bit further away when she was talking to Shiro he’d say he was in Green.

Keith flew up, “Okay,” he said into the comms. “Sending coordinates now,” there was some tapping and a map showed up on Lance’s controls which he swiped to the side. “Be careful.”

“I still have cookies in the oven,” Hunk said, “Coran, could you get those out if we’re not back in an hour?”

“Of course, the fantastic Coran will get his hands on those fantastic cookies.”

“Don’t talk in third person,” Allura sighed. 

Blue, Green and Yellow took off in the right direction. Black was soon to follow and Lance floated beside Black, darting through the night watching the stars go past, and making sure that they weren’t getting lost.

They got closer towards the planet, surrounded with… moon and debris, like another planet smashed into it. Allura hummed, “I believe this is where Lukzuza was,” she said.

“What’s Lukzuza?”

“It is believed that Quintessence was harnessed here for the first time,” Allura said, “It’s a bedtime story, about a young scrappy boy, learning to use Quintessence to impress another boy. Some say it was a girl impressing another girl.”

“So… life force is gay?” Pidge asked. “That I believe.”

“Harnessing life force is, that’s why some of the finest pairs of warriors in Altea are… what’s your word again?” Allura asked

“Gay?” Lance supplied.

“Gay.” Allura repeated. “Altean scholars never agreed whether it was a boy or girl, but they all agreed that it was… gay. Never once have I seen an Altean scholar try and make the story opposite sexes. It is interesting, just a fairy story however, historically inaccurate, it’s a nice story though.”

“How does it end?” Hunk asked, sounding genuinely curious.

“The boy, Meanno, ends up on the planet. Needing to sacrifice himself for the better of the universe. A nice story really.” Allura said in a voice that meant she actually thought it was a nice story.

“Bury your gays,” Shiro added and Pidge laughed the loudest. “Even in Altean culture.”

Keith had been quiet. Lance looked around to see where Black was, seeing Black staring at a huge hunk of rock. Floating around, a pale purple colour. 

“Keith?” Lance asked into the comms. “What are you staring at?”

No response.

“Keith?” Shiro repeated, “Do you copy?”

Apparently he didn’t.

Lance started towards Black, before floating next to her, nudging Black with Red’s tail and nothing happened. “Keith? Are you alright?” He kept staring at the pale purple… moon maybe?

It was hard to tell what was what with all the junk flying around the planet. Slowly, Black started moving towards the light purple moon. At full force too. “Keith!” Lance yelled into the comms, over the chaos of everyone else yelling too. “What are you doing?”

“Keith!” Pidge yelled.

Lance didn’t think about it, instead getting himself in the way of Black and the purple moon. Something crashed into something, something shifted.

Then nothing.

* * *

Now. Being a paladin of Voltron generally meant waking up in some weird places. Because being knocked out always ended up somewhere weird. Lance was expecting the fiery exploded lions, or somehow to be captured.

What he wasn’t expecting was to be hanging upside down by his feet, swinging back and forth slightly. His arms hanging there… just, hanging there, close enough to a table that he was almost able to grab something.

Keith was next to him.

Okay. That was not surprising.

Lance looked around, the room looked cosy almost. With a fire flickering in the corner. They were tied up above some tables, with… stuff all over them, rocks on some, weird liquids that Lance didn’t want to think about too much on others.

There was just so much stuff, pieces of greenery… and… was that a cauldron? Were they actually going to get eaten by a witch, because weird things had happened to him— really weird things.

But if a witch was going to eat them, this was going to be the weirdest.

Lance slowly reached up to his side, his bayard materialising in his hand. It hadn’t been very useful, not transforming to anything in particular. Even now, it seemed to glitch, between a sword, a sniper rifle and a blaster, which was not something that he really wanted at that moment.

Keith’s bayard was on a counter, laying on top of a book which was about the size of Lance’s head, so far out of reach that Lance wasn’t even going to consider trying to reach it. He shook his bayard.

Once. Twice.

It didn’t stop changing forms, and Lance put it back towards his thigh and it dematerialised, as Lance looked around. Trying to think of something to get him down, which was quite difficult when he was hanging upside down and all the blood was rushing to his head.

He swung slightly.

That gave him a terrible idea.

Managing to lift up his head and upper body he looked up at the roof. There was a fixture of some sort that was holding both of them up. If Lance was able to swing up high enough to grab that… or even climb up the rope.

Hopefully all those years of gymnastics was going to help him now. Lance managed to fold over himself, his hands grabbing the rope as slowly he pulled himself up. Just using his arms, since his feet were useless and tied together.

Slowly he pulled up, his arms shaking at the effort, as he slowly clambered higher up the rope. Managing to somehow almost get a foothold on the rope, something he’d learnt from those five silks classes he’d taken with Veronica.

When he got back to Earth he was thanking Veronica for making him do gymnastics and swimming. Eventually he managed to grab onto the wood fixture holding the pair of them out.

Looking down at Keith, Lance saw he was completely out, his hair flopped down, not moving at all. Trying to remember how long someone could survive upside down without their stomach and other organs squashing lungs.

It was hours. But Lance had no idea how long he’d been hanging there already. Lance looked at the wooden fixture. It looked simple enough, all he had to do was untie the ropes from both of these.

Kindly, Lance decided to start with Keith. Mainly because he was closer to the ground, and because, hopefully, he’d be able to let Keith down easily, so he didn’t smash his head on the ground.

Their helmets were by the fire.

Slowly Lance started unwinding the rope, until Keith slowly started slipping towards the floor. Still, Lance kept his grip on the rope, just in case, which went better than he thought it would. And Keith didn’t even look like he was bleeding when he hit the ground.

Lance managed to look down. A fall from up here wouldn’t kill him by any means. But it was something that he wanted to avoid quite badly, because if Keith didn’t wake up soon, Lance wanted to be in tip-top shape to save his sorry ass.

With a sigh, Lance tried to figure out what to do. He managed to undo the armour from his wrist, taking his gauntlet off and threw it down at Keith. It hit the ground next to him, and Keith didn’t stir.

Fine.

He took off his other gauntlet, and pelted it at Keith. It hit him right in the forehead. Keith jumped awake, scrambling to his feet, and knocking half the stuff off the middle table that Lance was hanging over. Then grabbing the closest thing he could, a rock, and scanning around for a threat.

Lance was going to say something.

But watching Keith look around was just as fun. He scanned around slowly, not thinking about looking up, his eyes settling on their helmets, and he looked around a bit longer. Eventually finding his bayard, which transformed into a sword.

“What the fuck?” Keith whispered, “Huh?” Is what he said.

Lance really should’ve said something at this point.

But watching Keith being the most confused he had been in ages was something great, and Lance was planning on savouring this as long as he could. If a witch was coming, Keith could probably handle it.

He was mostly competent.

Even if Lance’s arms were shaking from the effort of holding himself up so long, and every muscle in his arms were screaming from exhaustion.

He eventually found Lance’s gauntlet armour down on the floor, his eyebrows went all furrowed and cute, he picked them both up and looked around. Trying to find Lance. He looked under one of the tables. “Lance?”

Now. Lance really didn’t want to say anything. But considering at this rate his arms would actually fall off, he needed to gain attention to himself somehow.

So he let go of the wooden fixture, and swung down. Keith jumped and threw something at him, which missed completely and hit the wall behind him. Lance craned so that he was looking directly at Keith, a huge smile on his face.

“Hey,” he swung back and forth a little. “How have you been?”

Keith looked up, “Were you up there this entire time?”

“Yup,” Lance popped the ‘p’, never one to not make Keith feel embarrassed. “It took you forever to find my gauntlets by the way. Now since I got you down, you can return the favour.”

“What about your bayard?”

Lance pulled it out, showing it switching between three forms, one of them he couldn’t use. Waving it in Keith’s face. “Is glitching out like it has been for the past… however long it’s been.”

“Right,” Keith raised an eyebrow. “So like a monkey you clamber up the rope onto that wooden thing and untied me?”

“There is potential danger right now,” Lance said, crossing his arms. “If you could cut me down now, that would be fantastic.”

“So… you watched me look for you, actually scared for you, and you expect me to cut you down?”  
  


“Yup.”

“Fair enough,” Keith grabbed his bayard, and stood on a table, to swing it above Lance’s legs.

Lance landed on the floor unceremoniously and Keith sighed a little, rubbing his forehead tiredly. Lance gave a thumbs up and Keith pulled him onto his feet. “Great,” Lance said, putting his gauntlets back on again. “Technically I threw my gauntlet at you.”

“Not history nerd speak,” Keith said, picking up both of their helmets.

“It was a challenge to a duel,” Lance said, satisfied that his gauntlets were on. Before holding out his arms so that Keith could check if they were actually on. Apparently they weren’t because they clicked again and Keith pulled on them both, before giving a nod.

“Are we dueling now?” Keith asked, “Could we hold it off until,” he pretended to look at his watch, “Next Thursday?”

“Sorry, I gotta watch the kids,” Lance sighed, hands on his hips, as he started searching the room. Which funnily enough didn’t have a door. Or at least one that they could see. “What about Wednesday?”

Keith flicked open a book, and apparently couldn’t read it because he closed it straight away. “Nah, I have to be a soccer Mum.”

“Fair, fair,” Lance picked up a rock, eyeing it through the light and not finding anything worth noting. Instead sighing slightly and rubbing at his face. “So… what day are you free?”

“My schedule’s actually pretty busy,” Keith looked closely at what Lance would call a potion, “I have to stab some gladiators on Monday, annoy Pidge on Tuesday, being a soccer Mum on Wednesday, I’m free Thursday and Friday.”

“So Friday?” Lance picked up a bottle, promptly dropping it onto the ground and swore slightly. 

“Sure, duel to the death on Friday?” Keith walked over to the fireplace, inspecting it closely. Starting to poke every rock that was in it.

“That won’t do anything.”

“It might,” Keith argued which wasn’t his best argument, but good enough that Lance shut up and prodded through what looked like potion ingredients. 

He picked up what looked like weed, and laughed, Keith turned around. Before eyeing the jar, and walking over, looking at it. “Can we give this to Shiro?”

Lance laughed even louder, nodding. “Totally.” He put it in the compartment on the side of their suits.

“I don’t appreciate stealers,” a raspy voice said from behind them. Keith turned around, jumping slightly and unsheathing his bayard.

Lance didn’t for a moment, turning around and giving his best bitch-face. “I don’t appreciate being tied up like you’re waiting to eat us.”

He was face-to-face, with what looked like an old man. Just a normal, old man. With wrinkles across his browned face, with the just-ate-a-lemon-look who was scowling at the pair of them. Greyish-black hair tumbled past his shoulders, and down towards his waist. There were a few light green streaks through it.

What was more confusing were his eyes. One of them was brown, and the other one was a striking deep blue. While heterochromia wasn’t confusing as such… it just looked too natural, like that was the way he was supposed to look.

It probably was.

A deep blue robe tumbled over him too, with no shapes, and looked more like someone had cut a whole in the middle of a blanket, thrown it over him, tied it up with a belt and called it a day. 

Lance wished he gave the amount of fucks at that guy. Which looked to be approximately zero. On his waist was what looked like a blaster, and he had what looked like a dagger tucked into a compartment on his belt.

“Um…” Lance said, “Hello.”

“Hi.” The man replied. 

“Um…” he said again, clearly cementing his place as someone who was smart. “I have a small, tiny question. Could you let us go?”

The man laughed, doubling over and clutching his stomach. “Oh no, my sweet boy. Sit down,” he snapped his fingers and two stools flung themselves at Lance and Keith, making them sit down. “Stay there.”

Keith scowled, but stayed there, and Lance watched the man rush about the room. Putting things on the tables, getting the rope off from the ground, and untying Lance’s rope from the fixture. 

All of these things were done with either a slap, a finger snap or a click of the tongue.

“Who are you?” Lance asked and Keith kicked him, with force. “What?”

“Don’t make friends with the enemy,” Keith whispered back, “He kidnapped us?”

“Eh,” Lance shrugged, “I feel like we could leave if we wanted to.”

“We want to leave,” Keith whispered back frantically, “I do not want to be in some knock-off Harry Potter potion room!”

“Relax, Samurai—”

“I’m Korean,” Keith deadpanned, “That feels kinda racist.”

“Keith.”

“Sorry.”

“You said you had a good feeling about this mission.”

“That was before we got kidnapped!” Keith yelled, and the man looked at them curiously. “Whatever. Fine, whatever. When this all inevitably goes wrong I’m blaming you.”

“You do that,” Lance muttered, turning around on his stool so he watched the old man walking around. Picking up things, or sighing at broken things on the ground.

“I did not expect you two to wake up so soon,” he said, picking up a rock which was in two off the ground and placing it on one or the reddish-orange tables. “I was about to untie the both of you.”

“Why were we hanging upside down?” Lance asked, it wasn’t with malice, like what Keith would’ve added, it was more curiosity than an accusation.

“I don’t exactly have a lot of places to tie people,” he gestured around the room. “There is where I hang my food when it needs to be plucked. I however wasn’t ever going to eat you, even if that’s what you’re thinking… red one put down your weapon.”

Keith was standing up, his sword pointed at the man, almost growling. He didn’t put down his weapon.

Lance had another focus than Keith getting his ass kicked by magic. “Red one?” He looked at Keith, wearing his black paladin armour. “That’s me… he hasn’t been red’s paladin in… ages.”

The man raised a brow, “I am not talking about your armour, anyone can wear any colour of armour. It is not some magical feat.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“Sit,” the man said, picking up the glass that Keith had thrown, sighing slightly. Before waving his hand and it floated over to a wooden box, which seemed a bit like a bin. “Let me clean up the mess that you two created.”

“In our defence—” Lance went to speak but no sound came out, and the man looked quite smug. That bastard.

“You bastard,” Keith stood up again, pointing his sword. “If you don’t let my friend talk, I swear to everything out there that you’ll know why we’re still alive in a war.”  
  


“A war?” The man said, “What do you mean war?”

“What do you mean, what do you mean?” Keith asked, glancing at Lance. “The war that’s been going on since the destruction of Altea… even before.”

The man whipped around. “Altea is destroyed?” His eyes were wide. “That’s impossible… Altea was one of those places that would never fall, try as you might. They had a deadly league of warriors—”

“Altea fell,” Keith said bluntly, apparently not giving this man much sympathy. “It fell, like countless other planets under Galra rule.”

“Galra?” The man said, “The Galra are behind this?” He asked, rubbing at his forehead. “Oh me, oh my.”

“Zarkon,” Lance added, “He destroyed Altea then kept going, he had a ten-thousand year headstart over us.”

“You mean Black Paladin Zarkon?”

“I’m the black paladin,” Keith said, his arms crossed, shifting from side to side. “Zarkon— he apparently wasn’t such a good guy. We’re Voltron now. Along with some others.”

The man looked like he was having a crisis, which, fair enough. Lance would probably be having a crisis too. “Look, it’s okay, I mean it isn’t… but we’re getting closer and closer to defeating Zarkon everyday.”

“What about Honerva?” The man asked.

“Who?” Keith and Lance asked, at the same time, in the same tone. They glanced at each other for a moment 

“Honerva… I trained her for a short while… Zarkon and her were courting.” The man picked up something else from the ground. “She was a bright young woman, I always liked her.”

“We haven’t heard of her,” Lance said with a small shrug. “So… can we cut to the chase, because, why are we here?”

“I was going to tell you,” the man said, “But that quiznack isn’t here.”

“That quiznack?” Lance repeated slowly, “Holy shit, are you married?”

“Married?” The man questioned, “What’s that?”

“Uh… like you have a ceremony to say you’re in this together… even if you’re not. Didn’t the Alteans have something like that?” Lance looked at Keith who shrugged, “Uh… a romantic commitment to each other.”

“I suppose it’s like that,” the man said, picking up the last rock which had been knocked to the ground. “Not too dissimilar to you two.”

“What?” Keith and Lance said, their tones flat. “Look, buddy,” Lance spun slightly on his stool. “Keith and I are nothing apart from friends, the only partners we are are in crime, and when everyone has to pair up we pair up… but beside that.”

“I’d call you partners,” the man said, almost smugly. 

“Like he said,” Keith tilted his head towards Lance. “Probably only partners in crime and training exercises when he’s not trying to get outta training.”

“Okay, your training is shit.”

“You train with me outside of team training.”

“Fine, your team training is shit.”

“No one’s died yet.”

“That’s objective—” Lance cut himself off and looked at the man as Keiht scowled next to him. “Okay. So sure, you’ll say we’re partners, I’ll say that Keith is a fuckhead.”

“Thanks, Lance, your words do sure mean a lot,” Keith deadpanned and Lance turned around to insult Keith again when the fireplace opened. 

Like something straight out of a bad spy movie, the fireplace opened up into a long hallway. A Galra was standing there. Keith had stood up, and had his sword at the ready. Lance was ready to try and figure out how to use his bayard, which was in his hand untransformed.

The Galra had light purple skin. He looked fluffier than most of the Galra than Lance had seen before, but didn’t even have ears, instead a mane of unruly black hair, like the wizard man, with light green streaks through it. One of his eyes were brown, and the other was bright blue.

It was the opposite way. The wizard man’s left eye was blue and his right eye was brown. This Galra’s right eye was blue and his left eye was brown. Okay. 

Lance stared for a long moment, before deciding this was the wizard man’s partner. He pulled Keith back down onto the seat, and the Galra walked towards the wizard, eyeing Lance and Keith cautiously. 

“What?” Is what the Galra said. Gesturing towards Keith and Lance. “What the quiznack are those things?”

“Um…” the wizard looked at them, “What are you?”

“Paladins?” Lance said, even though it was more of a question.

“Like Zarkon and Alfor?”

“Apparently a lot has happened in the last ten-thousand years,” the wizard man said, “Altea is gone.”

“What? No it’s not.”

Lance felt like he was intruding. So he looked at Keith, who also awkwardly looked at him. As the two others talked in low, almost frantic tones. “Um,” Lance whispered, “This is awkward.”

“Yeah,” Keith whispered back, glancing back towards the pair and looking at Lance. “Yeah… that’s. Yup.”

“Very in depth description,” Lance said and Keith nodded. Also glancing at the pair who were still talking frantically. “So, do we have an escape plan?”

“Go through the fireplace?”

“It could be magic though,” Lance argued and Ketih nodded, like he hadn’t considered that point, and maybe he hadn’t. “I think the plan is we threaten the Galra one, if we need to get out. Hopefully the wizard dude cares enough about…”

“His partner?”

“Yeah, okay, just checking if you got the same vibes.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, “My gaydar is excellent.”

“Is it?”

“Yes, I knew you were bi basically when you did.”

“True,” Lance nodded. “Okay fine, your gaydar works a little bit.”

“Thanks.”

One of them clapped, and Lance spun around, facing towards the other pair and watching as the Galra sat on a table, and the wizard dragged out a stool. Sitting facing them, the wizard sighed slightly.

Another moment of silence.

“Look,” Lance said, “As much as I love being here against my will, I have a feeling that our team are freaking out and if we could just—”

“Weird things have been happening,” the Galra said, arms crossed, looking down. “Weird things that you can explain if you look hard enough, but you don’t know why they’re happening.”

Lance glanced at Keith, who met his eyes in a silent agreement. “Yes.” Lance said, “They have.”

“Okay,” the wizard said, “What sort of weird things?”

“Um,” Lance said, glancing at Keith who moved his head forward a little. It wasn’t a huge gesture, and Lance probably would’ve missed it if he didn’t know Keith so well. “Well… there’s this weird dream place, which isn’t that much of a dream… like another plane? Then the lullabies.”

“Those are weird,” Keith confirmed.

“Then just general weirdness, one time I broke out of chains… it went all purple and stuff… which was cool… and… what else?”

“Jesus, I don’t know,” Keith muttered. “These weird purple lights, leading me to you, I also generally know where you are, I felt your pain… Apparently you brought me back from the dead—”

“Oh quiznack,” the wizard scrambled to his feet and the Galra did the same. “That’s not good, that’s not good.”

“Is it too late?” The Galra asked, also scrambling to pick up a bunch of ingredients. To what, Lance had no clue.

“I have no idea,” the wizard said, grabbing what looked like a pot and starting to throw ingredients in there. Which he handed to the Galra who started racing around, putting things in the pot. 

The wizard sat down in front of them. “Do you know the stories about the warriors on Altea?”

“Vaguely,” Lance responded shortly, as the Galra raced around, muttering under his breath. “Yes… why?”

The wizard sighed, “I used to vacation on Altea when I was young, until my brother got sick and I went there to care for him. Even when I was young, everyone knew the stories of Altean warriors, warriors who were so in tune with each other that they were said to be part of the other.”

Lance nodded, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Alteans were some of the first to discover Quintessence and what it really was. Life force. Quintessence is just life force, other cultures call it other things, di’jimon, Quintessence, or just something they don’t understand at all… but it’s always been the same thing. Quintessence is the stuff that keeps us alive, it’s in stars, it’s in planets, it keeps things living.”

The Galra knocked over a bunch of glass, sighed and started to pick it all up.

“Some skilled alchemists could give Quintessence to others, their own of course. When people barely understood what Quintessence did, alchemists, ones on the battlefield would heal warriors. And heal them they did.”

Keith raised an eyebrow.

“What people didn’t expect was weird things to happen. However, weird things did happen. People started to feel the other’s pain, and strong emotions… shared dreams. That was the start. You see boys, Quintessence is supposed to be yours alone. Other people can imprint on it, by spending time with you. Your Quintessence is probably imprinted with those of your team. But having imprinted Quintessence is different to having someone’s Quintessence.”

“Wait,” Lance said, holding up a hand. “You’re saying that—”

“Normally it starts by saving someone’s life, or disregarding your own life to save that person, but if you’re surrounded by Altean technology it could be anything… you could’ve been sparring and it started. There hasn’t been any cases of a Quintessence bond being formed without the ceremony in— centuries at least.”

“The ceremony?”’

“Eventually people began to understand, they made it safer, the Alteans. More stable. So that if one person was killed they both wouldn’t be, so that they didn’t need to share thoughts all the time. The ceremony got safer, and how the Quintessence bonds were formed became a myth of the past.”

“How old are you?” Lance asked.

The wizard guy ignored him. “What I’m saying. Is that you two have a Quintessence bond. Part of the thing that keeps you alive is what keeps the other alive too. That’s why you came here, we’ve been expecting you two, especially after that stunt a few movements ago.”

“There was no beacon,” Keith said, “One of you set that up.”

“We did.” The wizard said, “We did indeed. Because this Quintessence bond is unchecked, out of control. Bringing another back from the dead hasn’t been done since the first Quintessence bonds… when Alteans were more magickal and understood magic like I understand it… it shouldn’t be possible.”

“Some Quintessence bonds easier,” the Galra provided, bringing a pot over. “But it’s about a choice… at the end of the day you chose it, whether you know it or not, a true Quintessence bond, like the one that you share is about choosing each other. Again and again, in life and in death.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Lance shook his head. “You’re saying ol’ Keithers and I are like… soulmates?”

“We don’t know what soulmates are,” the Galra said, sitting down in front of the pair of them. “But it sounds predetermined. Quintessence bonds aren’t predetermined, the reason why later Quintessence bonds were weaker than the first was because they knew what they were doing. And knowing what it is, isn’t choosing the other.”

“What?” Keith asked, “I— what?”

“Quintessence bonds were strong when people didn’t know what they did, because that was them choosing each other regardless of the consequences. When they became controlled, they knew, which meant they knew the consequences, so the bond wasn’t as strong.” The Galra said, his voice as gentle as it could be. “They’re about choosing each other, again and again, no matter the consequences.”

Lance brushed his hair back, his eyes wide. “And Altean warriors had them?”

“Some of the finest warriors were bounded by Quintessence, it’s why Alteans believed that there was always a higher form of love, one with an uncontrolled, unchoosable Quintessence bond.”

“So,” Lance said, “What you’re saying is… somewhere along the road, Keith and I chose each other in a situation or in multiple situations and now we share some of the other’s soul?”

“Yes.” The wizard said with a slight nod. “That is exactly what we’re saying.”

“Okay, cool,” Lance said, “That’s great— but can we go now?”

“No.” The Galra said and Lance paused to look at him, an eyebrow raised. “This is one that wasn’t chosen, it’s uncontrollable, uncontainable. According to the records weirder things happen. Your bodies can swap places at a random time, you can communicate with thoughts. If one of you dies… the other can die too.”

“I don’t believe that,” Keith scowled, “According to him, I’ve already died and he’s fine.”

“Interesting,” the wizard hummed, looking at his partner. “That is interesting indeed.”

“It’s an unrestrained Quintessence bond, there was a reason they became restrained and restricted, Meanno, it’s not safe for them.” The Galra said.

Meanno. Like from Allura’s story.

“Wait!” Lance yelled, “You’re Meanno. The person who first harnessed Quintessence?”

“Yes.” He said flatly, “I did it to impress him and then turns out we were basically tied together.”

“Wait,” Keith said, his voice calm looking straight at Lance. “Allura said that La-Kua couldn’t heal you because your Quintessence was tainted… or compromised or something.”

“Oh quiznack,” the Galra said, “This has more layers,” Meanno gave the Galra a look and he rolled his eyes.

“So?” Lance asked. “What are you saying?”  
  


“Get rid of it,” Keith said, looking straight at Meanno and the Galra. “Get rid of it.”  
  


“No way!” Lance yelled, “Keith, what the fuck man?”

Keith didn’t even glance at Lance. “Get rid of it.”

“Do not.” Lance snapped, “Keith, I don’t care anymore. If I can’t snipe, I’m more than a sniper anyway, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Keith whipped around, his hair moving as he did. For a moment he didn’t say anything, and his gaze was so intense and— unfiltered, like Keith himself didn’t quite know what he was feeling. “Tell me you don’t miss it.”

“What?”

“Tell me you don’t miss sniping.”

“Keith, that’s not fair,” Lance complained. 

Yes, he missed sniping more than anything in the world. The feeling of always knowing what to do, the feeling of being in complete control, like nothing could drag him down. He loved it and he didn’t get that anymore, try as he might with the swords and blasters, he still barely knew what he was doing. It just wasn’t the same, and it probably wouldn’t be the same.

But that didn’t matter.

“What are the downsides?” Keith asked, ignoring Lance completely and Lance was going to throttle that bastard—

“It hurts, an unimaginable pain as some of your life force is being ripped out of you.” Meanno said, twirling a piece of grey hair around his finger. “And… it’ll probably hurt you.”

“No,” Lance said as Keith said, “Do it.”

“No,” Lance said, “You being in pain like that isn’t worth me being able to snipe again. I can use swords, I can still use guns, I’ve adapted. So please let this rest, I don’t want you to be in pain for something that doesn’t matter.”

Keith just looked at the pair of them. “Do it.”

“Do it,” Lance snapped, “And I’ll cut your damn heads off.”

“Your bayard isn’t working,” Keith snapped, “I’d like to see you try.”

“Your bayard isn’t working?” Meanno asked, standing up and muttering something under his breath which Lance recognised as Galran swear-words, old ones that only the Grandmas of the Galran empire used. 

He started walking around, and his partner, who still hadn’t been named beyond ‘The Galran’ watched him, as he paced around a bit more, before looking back at both Lance and Keith.

“We need to get rid of it.”

“What?” Lance said.

“It’s too unreliable, not when you’re galavanting around the universe trying to save it. If what you say is true, having a Quintessence bond, one that hasn’t been seen in centuries. It’s uncontrollable. Jiroteo, they’re paladins of Voltron. If one of them dies, it’s more than likely that they both will and that leaves Voltron in jeopardy.”

“Do I even get a say?” Lance asked and everyone ignored him.

“Jiroteo,” Meanno said, and now the Galra had a name. “Imagine one of the Quintessence outbursts in a battle? A battle for the fate of the universe?”

“A what?” Keith asked.

Jiroteo turned to Keith, “Do you know survival instincts?”

Keith nodded.

“It’s like that, an outburst to keep whoever you’re bonded to alive. It’s an involuntary thing, something you can’t control, they can be very dangerous,” Jiroteo's face darkened slightly as did Meanno’s. 

So something had happened then.

“Like Altean magic, or any magic. Except it’s… not chosen, it just happens,” Jiroteo explained. “Shields, outbursts, lights, it’s… that is why Quintessence bonds were so important in battles, it was utter power. Especially for those who didn’t know what those bonds would do. They were very powerful indeed.”

Meanno was still muttering in swear words, Jiroteo leant against the table, almost looking amused as he looked at Lance’s bayard, which was still switching between forms. Steadily enough that Lance could adjust his grip, but not slowly enough that he’d be able to do anything with the forms.

Jiroteo laughed, “That means that your Quintessence is off… anything traumatic happened recently?”

“Yes.” Lance snapped.

“You might want to talk to someone about that,” Jiroteo took the bayard from his hands, and placed it on the table. “The Quintessence bond isn’t stable, it could theoretically kill both of you if you’re not careful, if what you say about the war is true… then simply enough, are you willing to risk that?”

“Yes.” Lance said, arms crossed and he felt Keith stiffen next to him. 

“So you’re willing to potentially sacrifice the fate of the universe so your… bonded isn’t in pain for a while?” Jiroteosaid, and the silence must’ve been telling because he gave a half-shrug. He looked at Keith, more than slightly curious. “You’re Galran aren’t you… at least part.”

“I am,” he responded curtly. 

“You don’t look Galran, ah well, times have changed. Being a pureblood means you have countless defects anyway… too much inbreeding to make the perfect warrior.”

Keith nodded like he half understood, when Lance could see that he had no clue what was happening underneath the layers. “Right,” Keith said, again, like he understood perfectly, “So… Lance and mine souls are tied together and that compromises Voltron—”

“It could,” Jiroteo said, with a small nod, “My partner… there haven’t been more people with a bond like us in centuries… and there must’ve been a reason for that, if Altea did indeed fall. We were the first, and we destroyed Lukzuza with our bond… I was in trouble and apparently Meanno didn’t take that well, a fully trained alchemist ripped apart a planet to find me.” He glanced around at Meanno who was still muttering. “He’s scared, and he’ll say he’s not but I know him better than that. Young paladins, a Quintessence bond is something special and sacred, but it can be a thing of danger.”

“Right,” Lance said breathlessly, “Don’t destroy any planets… got it.”

“It’s not the planets I’m worried about,” Jiroteo said, sighing at the two of them. “Everyone has Quintessence inside of them… sometimes in Quintessence outbursts people’s Quintessence gets manipulated, and that destroys people— and it hurts, and you’ll never hear a cry like it.”

Jiroteo ran a hand down his face, “You do horrible things, just to keep one person safe, without meaning to. We’ve done horrible things to keep the other safe, Meanno and I… and we can’t control it. Not even Meanno.”

Lance side-eyed Keith, who gave a one-shouldered shrug and turned his focus back to Jiroteo who had a light purple hand in his hair, smoothing out some bits which were sticking out. “I think he regrets it sometimes… it’s more than whatever you think it is. It’s a commitment, it means that you’ll put the other person’s safety over every logical outcome… and that’s not always good. Sometimes sacrifices must be made… no matter how painful they are.”

Keith was scowling now, his hand hovering over his bayard, Lance put his arm down. Keith looked at him and Lance just shook his head.

“I believe you should talk about it, right now you,” he pointed at Lance, “Are going off emotions, and you,” he pointed at Keith, “Are going off logic to a fault. Talk about it. We’re not going to force you to get rid of it or leave it… just, I know what I would’ve chosen if I were you.”

He walked off towards Meanno, talking in a soft tone that Lance couldn’t make out.

Keith turned to him, scowling, but not looking him in the eyes. “You don’t want to be bonded to me for the rest of your life.”

“Maybe I do,” Lance argued, arms crossed and scowling. “Don’t make my decision for me Kogane, if anything you don’t want to be bonded to me for the rest of your life. Think about all the attention my family would give you, it’d be simply terrible, you’d _hate_ it _so much_.”

Twisting up his mouth, Keith looked at him in confusion. “Is this reverse psychology? Look, Lance, we’re still both children. Pain isn’t permanent, this is.”

“Don’t you want something permanent?” Lance asked.

“Not you,” Keith argued, and it stung a little, but not enough to deter Lance. “Okay, you’re not thinking this through.”

“You’re thinking this through too much,” Lance glared, looking at Meanno and Jiroteo, “They seem alright…”

“Jiroteo implied that if he had the choice again he wouldn’t do it,” Keith gestured with his bayard at the pair of them, “And Meanno feels the same.”

“Think about the edge in battle.”

“Think about how this compromises Voltron. You being in pain can incapacitate me. I reckon it’s the same the other way around, that’s not helpful in a battle— if someone figures that it’s more than a shared lion connecting us.”

“Keith,” Lance leant back in his stool. “I hate seeing you in pain… you hate seeing me in pain. Seeing you in pain already incapacitates me, Quintessence bond or not, is this really such a huge leap? We already had the bond and we were fine, sure, weird things happened, and sure, I was stressed, but we were fine.”

“What’s fine about any of this?” Keith whispered frantically, knocking over a bottle as he gestured, “Nothing about this is fine. If we get rid of this… thing, you can shoot and we’re not tied to each other forever!”

“Is that the problem?” Lance asked, “You’re tied to me— instead of, I dunno, Lulio?”

“That’s not the problem and you know it,” Keith’s voice was low, and Lance would be a liar if he said it wasn’t a _little_ hot. Just a little. Even though they were still arguing. “The problem is this is a permanent thing.”

“So you don’t like permanency?” Lance asked, “Okay, whatever, shock, Mister Parental-Issues doesn’t believe that anything’s permanent. Shock.”

“This isn’t that!” Keith yelled, before seeing Meanno and Jiroteo looking at the pair of them, before dropping his voice to a whisper. “This is that you’re being stupid. There isn’t any benefit which outweighs the negative.”

“The negative? Like what? We’re cooler in battle, we both have a fail-safe.”

“Relying,” Keith whispered back, “Relying on one person for everything is dangerous. I did it with Pops, look what happened. I did it on Shiro, look where he is now. I’m not just relying on you, I’m never just relying on one person ever again.”

“Were you just relying on me before?” Lance challenged, and Keith’s brain appeared to have short-circuited. “What changes it, you’re making a big deal out of nothing, it helps us in battle, it’ll help with our Voltron bond… and worst case we come back here and actually get it removed.”

“You’re saying—” Keith sighed, “That we basically… trial. A piece of… magic. That hasn’t been around since the most ancient Alteans and see what happens.”

“Yes.”

“You do know why that’s a horrible idea?”

“Yup.”

“Right,” Keith ran a hand down his face, “Of course that’s what you think.”

“Look, we had this before and it was fine. We’re both alive, and wellish and happy, so you need to relax.”

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Keith murmured, taking a look at Lance and sighing again, “Fine… I’ll put up with it, but when something goes wrong I’m blaming you.”

Lance nodded, and looked back at Meanno and Jiroteo. “No, Meanno.” Jiroteo said, “They’re made their decision and—”

“It’s not the right decision,” Meanno snapped, pushing his partner to the side.

He held out his hands, facing towards Keith.

For a moment nothing happened, and Lance opened his mouth to say something.

When Keith hit the floor with a cry, his stool toppled over and things dropped off the table he smashed into. Another cry and Keith’s entire face was screwed up, his hands pushing on either side of his head as hard as they could, his arms trembling.

Lance was at his side almost straight away.

“Stop it!” Lance yelled, looking at Meanno. While Jiroteo looked on in horror. “Stop it! Stop it right now!”

Keith let out another cry, one that seemed to stab straight through Lance’s heart. Now all of Keith was trembling, and tears were spilling out of his eyes, but that was the least of Lance’s concerns.

He was still shaking, and crying and yelling out in pain.

“Let him go!” Lance yelled at Meanno, “Or so help me, you don’t want to see what happens—” he stood up, muttering a quiet apology to Keith, before grabbing his bayard.

Keith cried out again, a jagged, ugly sound that tore at the edges, and Lance was almost sure he was saying something, something which sounded like an apology, which tore Lance’s heart a little bit more.

His bayard transformed into a sword, more curiously, instead of a blaster. It was a slightly curved sword, only a single edged one… it was a pale red colour, and looked quite like some of Blade members' swords.

Right. Okay.

Lance held out his sword, right in front of him staring ahead right at Jiroteo who didn’t look slightly offended at the sword being pointed at him. In fact he nodded once. “Stop it, or your partner gets it.”

Meanno hesitated for a moment, looking at Jiroteo then looking at Keith, collapsed on the floor. Trying to stop the pain that wasn’t going to stop. “I said,” Lance’s voice was eerily calm, and level. “Let him go. Now!”

When Meanno didn’t move and Keith cried out in pain again, and tried to curl into a ball. Lance didn’t hesitate. 

He threw his bayard, the sword cutting through Jiroteo’s clothes, pinning him to the wall. Before his bayard teleported back into his hand, and he held it up to Jiroteo’s neck, who all things considered didn’t look that offended.

Maybe mildly offended at best, but not scared.

“Let him go!” Lance yelled again, “Let go of my partner and I’ll let go of yours!”

“He’s not your partner if I have anything to say about it,” Meanno snarled, moving his hands and Keith yelped, still shaking like mad. 

“And he’ll be mine if I have anything to say about it,” Lance yelled, although he was quite out of options of things to threaten Meanno with, if threatening to kill his partner wasn’t enough… what was?

_“People’s Quintessence gets manipulated, and that destroys people— and it hurts, and you’ll never hear a cry like it.”_

Jiroteo had said that. Quintessence could be manipulated, inside of someone too. Meanno was manipulating Keith’s. Lance took a deep breath, he knew nothing about Altean alchemy, or anything really.

But he did know Keith was in pain, and that needed to stop.

Then Meanno fell, letting out a cry that seemed to settle around the room. As everyone realised what had just happened. Lance included. 

He didn’t take much longer than he needed to, before dragging Keith onto his feet. To the fireplace as Meanno was still on the ground, not yelling out in pain, but looking up at Lance in shock.

Complete and utter shock.

Lance just looked back at him.

“It— it’s not possible,” Meanno said slowly, “How?”

Lance had no response, how was he supposed to? He just manipulated the thing that made someone living, inside of someone. How was he supposed to respond to that? And that he’d been in perfect control, he knew exactly what he’d been doing.

Worst of all, it felt good. It felt good to know that Lance had given Meanno a fraction of the pain Keith had been given. Lance didn’t say anything— he couldn’t say anything. 

Keith’s arm was slung over his shoulder, he was walking, although his feet didn’t move so much, rather than just drag across the floor. The fireplace opened, revealing a long hallway which Lance stumbled down, holding Keith as his head lolled back and forth.

“Are you okay?” Lance whispered and Keith hummed, it wasn’t an answer, but he was conscious and that was good enough. Eventually they were led into a huge cavern, with their lions resting. 

Several hallways went off of the cavern and Lance imagined that they were different rooms. There was a noise behind them, and Lance whirled around, pointing his sword at whoever it was.

It was Jiroteo, his hands up in surrender, his violet eyes darting from Keith and back to Lance and Lance held Keith a bit closer, ready to defend him with everything that he had. Of course he was, this was Keith.

“Be careful,” Jiroteo said, “You were in perfect control just then—”

“I know,” Lance said, something rising up in his throat, maybe guilt, maybe panic, maybe an ugly combination of the both, “I know, I don’t know what happened but—”

“Relax,” Jiroteo’s tone was surprisingly calm, a stark contrast to Lance who was screaming inside. “Please, just relax, it’s all alright. You’re exposed to Altean magic and high levels of Quintessence almost every day, it makes sense your Quintessence outbursts are more… like that.”

Lance nodded, he nodded because he didn’t know what else to say.

Jiroteo held out a small circle. “It’s to contact us, whether you need us for the war effort, or whether you need help with… everything. Just hold it in your hand and speak our names and you’ll find us.”

“Right,” Lance nodded weakly, as Keith slumped next to him, with a light snore.

“Your bond may be fractured now,” Jiroteo said, “I don’t know. I don’t know much about bonds and Quintessence compared to my partner…”

He didn’t say anything, instead trying to turn around to the lions and get the pair of them home.

“He’s a good man.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care if he’s the Pope.”

“I know,” Jiroteo said, “I think he sees similarities between you and us… rightfully so, and he’s trying to do what we should’ve done.”

“Why don’t you like the bond?” Lance asked, as Keith snored softly into his ear. “You act like it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you.”

“We were young, we didn’t know what was happening… it was a lifelong commitment for two people who probably weren’t supposed to be together, and it’s dangerous, and so very powerful.”

“But you made it work?” Lance asked, hopefully.

Jiroteo gave a small laugh and shrugged, “It depends whether you call that working, I personally call it… compromise. But that’s what a relationship is, compromising.”

“Why are you giving me relationship advice?” Lance asked slowly, struggling to keep Keith standing up. “Our relationship… or lack is fine.”

“Oh,” Jiroteo said, his eyes widening. “You’re not together? I’m sorry, I just assumed.”

“Seems to be a pattern,” Lance muttered, “No. We’re not together, not like that anyway. He’s one of my best friends and I care about him.”

Jiroteo smiled, his eyes seemed to light up. “That’s where we went wrong, we didn’t have a strong friendship first. We barely knew each other and then we were made to know each other… however if the bond came after a friendship of trust.” He smiled widely. “Good luck paladins.”

“Thank you.” Lance took the small circle from Jiroteo and put it in one of the compartments on his suit. “Thank you I suppose.”

“Contact us if we’re needed,” Jiroteo said, as Lance started dragging the two of them to Red and Lance was going to pray that Black would follow them.

Slowly, Lance got Keith into Red, and placed Keith in the pilot’s chair, as he finally put his helmet on, and started tapping at the controls. Trying to get their comms up. He couldn’t manage to do it. 

So he started flying out of the cavern, seeing Black follow after them.

Out in open space he sighed, looking at Keith, who was curled in the pilot’s chair. Not unlike a cat, curled into a ball and his cheek resting on one of the arm rests. A piece of hair kept falling into his face, moving as he breathed.

Lance walked over, brushing that piece of hair back and letting his hand linger for longer than it had to. He smiled softly down at Keith, brushing more hair back, before smiling again a little brighter. 

“We’ll be okay,” Lance said, still brushing more hair back. “I think it’ll turn out okay for us.”

Keith hummed in his sleep, or maybe sleep, either Keith was a great actor or he was more responsive in his sleep than he was when he was awake. 

Lance didn’t say anything else, instead turning back to the controls. Prodding at buttons, trying to contact The Castle.

Eventually he must’ve found the right button, as Allura’s face popped up on the screen. She took a moment, before her eyes widened and she smiled brightly. “Lance! Where have you been?”

“Keith gotta bit lost, ran into some trouble, we’re good now. Well…” Lance turned around to look at Keith, who was still sleeping and quietly at that, “Yeah… we’re good.”

“We’ve all been so worried,” Allura said, “I’ll contact Hunk and Pidge… they haven’t slept in the past two quintants.”

“Quintants?” Lance asked, slowly, “We… what? We haven’t been gone that long… it was a few vargas at most.”

“You’ve been gone for fourty-two vargas, that’s two days and a bit.”

“Holy shit,” Lance said, “We’ve been gone that long?”

“Yes,” Allura said, nodding, her expression serious. “Where exactly did you go?”

“Don’t want to talk about it,” Lance used all his acting skills to make himself seem more scared than he actually was, “It wasn’t good.”  
  


“Okay, right,” Allura nodded supportingly, “I’m sending the location of The Castle. I’ll tell Hunk and Pidge that we’ve found you two. Shiro and Coran will be thrilled, everyone was worried about you two… even if Coran thought you two were spending some,” she paused, scrunching up her nose. “Alone time together.”

“Allura,” Lance complained.

“I know, I know, it was disgusting. Something I never want to relive— now come back home so I can yell at both of you for being idiots.”

Lance laughed, and nodded. “Okay ‘Lura, see you then.”

The video closed and co-ordinates popped up on the screen. Keith’s head rose up slowly, rubbing at his eyes which weren’t fully open. “Hey,” Keith said before resting his cheek back on one of the arm rests. 

“If I had to be stuck with someone for life, you’re an okay person to be stuck with,” his eyes fluttered closed again and he started snoring again, making Lance laugh a little.

Yeah. They’d be alright.

Because, as Keith had eloquently just said. If Lance had to be bonded to someone for life, Keith was a pretty okay guy to be stuck with. 

Then he threw the control forward. To home first.

Hug Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Shiro and Coran. Have a nap, and then see what comes next.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: This is my longest one chapter I've ever written. Not by much, but it is. A thing I've noticed is that my chapters are getting longer. Which is fun. 
> 
> Next up we have, 'We're All In This Together' which will (probably) be another four chapters because I apparently really love having four chapters in a part. I have divided this series into seasons, which is fun. This is Season 3, and there are three parts with multiple chapters out of six parts in total. 
> 
> Ugh.
> 
> Tell me what you thought below, yay, nay or gay. I love reading comments, even if this part took about three days of hard labour and now I need a long nap. 
> 
> Hope everyone has a happy Christmas eve (or belated because timezones, or because it's not Christmas anymore, if so I hope you just have a good day) and I hope everyone has a happy holidays and some much needed time off existing in 2020, good news. It's almost over.


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